Paper web straightening device



March 17, 1953 J, 1 SCHWAB ErAL 2,631,507

PAPER WEB STRAIGHTENING DEVICE Filed Jan. 51, 1948 y @y1/J7 WM E72 ,5

Patented Mar. 17, 1953 UN ITE D STATS @i EN T O F FICE PAPER WEB STRAIGI-ITEN ING DEVICE 10h11 J Schwab, Western Springs, and Otto Wahl, Chicago, Ifll., assignors to W. J. Bradford Paper Co., Chicago, Ill., a ycorporation of Illinois `.ApplicationJanuary 31, 1948, Serial No. 5,648

(Cl. 92u37@ '1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus -for straightening a web oi .paper or like vweb material 'fed from a .supply roll on which the 4web may have acquired a 'curl that must be straightened out lbefore satisfactory results can be attained in 'theuse of 'the'we'b in iiat condition. While the straightening of paper webs is 'not broadly new, we have notffound any ,prior device which would satisfactorily meet 'the ,problem which we have encountered iin the use of the relatively heavy Vvpaper webs oi the type which is used in the manufacture of such paper articles as candy bar trays or "boats or in cell dividers such as are frequently used in candy 'boxes and the like. This type oi paper stock comes in various grades determined by the general thickness of the stock. In addition, in each grade there may be substantial variations from time to time in characteristics which affect the curling propensities of the web. That is, the tendency oi the web 'to attain and maintain a curl in the supply roll will vary as to various grades of the paper "stock and will also vary vin each grade vfrom time to time.

n making up the paper into articles such as candy trays or cell dividers, the web `must be acted upon by scorers and slitters and sometimes punohers and is then severed into relatively small units. In 'the processing of the web, lit is highly desirable to vhave the same lie quite flat. In the iinished article it is, of course, virtually essential that 'the iiniShed articles be and remain vdat.

Consequently, it 'is highly important to remove the curl resulting from the 'feed roll in the web as an incident to supplying the web to the web processing machine.

However, since the character of the paper web with respect to its `feed roll curl will vary so frequently in different rolls or different batches of rolls in any one grade and will, of course, vary considerably in different grades, the decurling process must be adjusted to meet the particular requirements of the web. We have .not been able to .dnd any .prior disclosure of a satisfactory means for accomplishing this purpose.

VIt is accordingly an important object of the present invention to provide a novel readily adjustable decurling or straightening device especially suitable for use with heavier grades oi paper'webs.

Another object of the .invention is to provide in a web straightening devicesimple, eilicient and quickly adjustable means .for straightening webs derived from a feed roll and variable as to vfeedroll curling characteristics.

A further object of the invention is to providea web straightener that is easily adjustable throughout a wide range to meet individual straightening requirements of various webs.

other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent vfrom the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure .1 is a top plan view of one end 'of a web processing machine showing a web straightening device embodying the features of the present invention; 'and Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical detail sectional View taken substantially on the line II-II of Figure 1.

As shown on the drawings:

A web straightening device 5 embodying the features of the present invention is especially well adapted for use inv straightening a ,paperl web which, though fairly pliable, is of such weight as to tend toward taking a substantial. curling set as a result of the tight Winding thereof` on a supply roll. Therefore the paper web l must be straightened or decurledbefore it can be satisfactorily used in a processing machine wherein the web is formed and separated into flat blanks for subsequent use in straight or flat condition. Since it is no concern of the present invention as to just what form such ultimate blanks will take, and the invention concerns itself entirely with straightening of the web, only a bare fragment of a processing machine, identified generally at 8 has been depicted in the drawings. This coinprises a dat receiving table Q to which the web i is fed or across which it is drawn by a mecha nism beyond that portion of the table which has been illustrated. The table .is supported by appropriate frame members I0.

On the table S the web is guided longitudinally between a pair of guide rails Il which are adjustable transversely of the table to accommodate various widths of web, transverse parallel slots l2 being formed at each side of the table to ac commodate vadjustment'bolts I3 by which the re spective guide rails l! are adjustably secured in place.

Between the guide 'rails Il is disposed a re movable drag or tensioning plate I4 which rides upon the web and presses it against the table 9 to provide a friction drag upon the web to tension the leading portion of the web and prevent overrunning thereof and also backlash. The drag plate I 4 has a handlen l5'by which'itfis conveniently manipulated into and out of operative position. At the sides of the drag plate are provided holding pins I'I which are engageable in appropriate retaining slots I8 in the rails I I to hold the drag plate against being drawn out of place by the advancing web.

It will be appreciated, of course, that the web feeding table and drag or tensioning plate structures are of more or less conventional construction and have been described in some detail here merely for the purpose of establishing the environment in which the present invention has been found of particular utility.

According to the present invention, the web straightening device is disposed immediately behind the tensioning plate or block I4 at the rear end of the table 9 and is preferably so constructed and arranged that it is adapted to be supported by the table assembly. To this end, the straightening device comprises a straightening roll I9 which is supported on a shaft 29 carried by respective left and right hand brackets 2i and 22, respectively, connected in suitable fashion to the supporting frame members it of the table at the respectively opposite sides of the assembly.

Although, if desired, the straightening roll I9 could be in the form of a roller to eliminate frictional resistance to passage of the web 'l thereover, in a practical production installation of the straightening device the illustrated form where the roll I9 is of adjustable, xed character has been found quite satisfactory. In this form the friction developed in passage of the web 'i over the roll I9 supplements the drag of the drag plate I4 and is desirable, rather than objectionable. Hence, it is a matter of discretion as to whether the roll I9 shall be rotatable for anti-friction purposes or shall be stationary in operation.

For economy and minimum weight, the roll I9 may be formed as a hollow relatively thin-walled cylinder closed at its opposite ends -by appropriate closure end walls 23 through which for ease in assembly the shaft 29 is adapted to be closely slidably disposed through appropriate substantially eccentrically located shaft apertures 24. One of the end closure members 23 is preferably provided with an integral collar 25 at its outer side concentric with the eccentric shaft axis and having a set screw 21 threaded therethrough to secure the shaft 29 and the roll I9 against relative longitudinal or rotary movement in assembly. Through this arrangement, rotation of the shaft 20 causes the roll I9 to be moved to Various positions of eccentric adjustment.

The opposite end portions of the shaft 20 are journaled in the supporting brackets 2i and 22 respectively, adjacent to the rear ends of the latter. Herein the right end of the shaft 29 is journaled endwise in the bracket 22 while the opposite end portion of the shaft is jcurnaled in the bracket 2I and extends entirely therethrough and beyond the saine to the outer side of the bracket and has a suitable hand wheel 2S fixedly thereon. This hand wheel permits the shaft 2.9, and thereby the straightening roll I9 to be conveniently adjusted by turning the shaft 20. To hold the shaft 2B against axial displacement, a retaining collar 29 may be secured thereon at the inner side of and contiguous the supporting bracket 2l.

Any rotary adjusted position of the shaft 29 is maintained fixedly by suitable locking means such as a bolt 30 threaded through the top of the bracket 2| linto endwise holding engagement with the shaft.

As best seen in Fig. 2, the shaft 20 is preferably located on an axis below the top plane of the table 9 at least to the extent that when the straightening roll I9 is swung by rotation of the shaft to its maximum depending position as indicated in dot-dash outline, its uppermost peripheral portion will describe a shallow arc above the upper plane of the table. By the saine token, when the straightening roll is swung to its maximum upward position, its upper periphery will project to a quite substantial degree above the top plane of the table 9, as best seen in dash outline in Fig. 2.

By preference, the straightening roll I9 is mounted in sufficiently rearwardly spaced relation to the web receiving end of the table 9 so that a stationary guide rod 3I on an axis parallel to the axis of the straightening roll and spaced forwardly thereof approximately the diameter of the straightening roll may be mounted across the path of the web and with its lowermost periphery spaced only slightly above or tangent to the top operating plane of the table 9. Accordingly, after the web 'I leaves the straightening roll i9 it must pass under the guide rod 3| and thence in substantially flat plane across the top of the table 9 and under the drag plate I4. Y This effectually avoids undue tension or resistance on the web by the trailing end of the drag plate as the web enters thereunder.

To accommodate the guide rod 3I, the supporting brackets 2i and 22 are preferably formed with identical upwardly extending bosses 32 which are appropriately coaxially bored to receive the rod 3| which is adapted to be removably secured xedly in place by means such as respective set screws 33.

In operation, the web 'I is trained over the straightening roll I9 and under the guide rod 3I to and under the drag plate I4. The face of the web ri' which was at the outside of the supply roll is disposed in Contact with the straightening roll I9. Furthermore, the web 'I is led to the straightening roll from a preferably lower elevation so that as the web passes over the straightening roll it is bowed or curved in reverse to the curvature thereof as wound upon the supply roll. Where the character of the web and prevailing conditions are such that only a relatively slight decurling of the web is required to straighten it, the straightening roll I9 is adjusted toward its lower limit so as to eifect only a moderate decurling bow in the web as the latter travels thereover. Where the character of the web and the conditions are such as to require rather severe decurling action on the web, the straightening roll is adjusted about its eccentric axis to effect a more severe decurling bow in the web. Any desired adjustment of the straightening roll I9 is easily and quickly effected as required merely by loosening the locking bolt 30 and turning the shaft 29 as much as needed through the medium of the hand wheel 29, and then retightening the bolt 39. It will be clear that because of the ease and simplicity of this adjustment, and the minutely incremental eccentric adjustment of the straightening roll I9 that is attainable thereby as nearly as practicable perfect straightening of the web I can be accomplished irrespective of a very wide range of conditions entering into the curling tendencies of the web.

It might also be pointed out that the relatively wide range of straightening adjustment aorded by the eccentric straightening roll I9 provides for ready adjustment thereof under conditions Where supply rolls of web material are located at various elevations for use successively and the angle of approach of the web to the straightening roll I9 will thus Vary from roll to roll. For example, where the web is fed from a supply roll at a relatively low elevation, it may be suicient to have the straightening roll I9 adjusted to a relatively low elevation. On the other hand, Where the Web is fed from a supply roll at a relatively high elevation, it may be desired to adjust the straightening roll I9 to a relatively high elevation in order to attain the proper reverse bending or bowing of the Web to elect proper straightening thereof.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claim.

We claim as our invention:

In a device for straightening a web o paper moving into the operating plane of a paper handling apparatus, a support bracket arranged to be secured in a xed position relative to such apparatus, a guide roll carried by said bracket for positioning tangent to the operating plane and with its axis xed transverse to the path of the web, thereby serving to guide the web into the operating plane, a straightening roll adjustably journalled in said bracket upon a iixed ec-I centric axis extending parallel to the axis of said guide roll and spaced rearwardly therefrom approximately the diameter of said straightening roll, said eccentric axis being disposed Within said straightening roll and on the opposite side of the operating plane from said guide roll, said straightening roll being arranged to receive the web and cooperating With said guide roll to produce a reflex bending of the moving web with a straightening effect thereupon, and means for locking said straightening roll in any of its continuously adjustable eccentric positions to impose the desired straightening effect.

JOHN J. SCHWAB.

OTTO WAHL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 463,593 Brainard Nov. 17, 1891 586,624 Roberts et al July 20, 1897 776,170 Burkhardt Nov. 24, 1904 1,126,982 Goss Feb. 2, 1915 1,150,608 Lundberg Aug. 17, 1915 1,185,600 Holt May 30, 1916 1,323,490 Putnam Dec. 2, 1919 1,807,274 Beidler May 26, 1931 2,452,226 Cone Oct. 26, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 28,524 Great Britain of 1907 

